Bob Bondurant Marries On Circuit During 2010 Monaco Grand Prix

It is with great excitment that I post the following news release about a very special, long time friend of mine and his wife. Having known Bob since the early 70's the one thing I can tell you about him besides his amazing driving history is that he never ceases to amaze me or his friends with what he's up to next.

Bob Bondurant and Gary Faules having a good time at Bob's track after Bob invited us to spend the day testing on our way race in the world famous La Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.



MONACO – Bob Bondurant, of "Grand Prix " movie fame and founder of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Ariz., got married on the Monaco Formula 1 circuit on May 14, 2010. Among a very excited crowd of onlookers, Bondurant and his new wife, Patricia, said their "I do’s."

Bod saying their I do's on the track.


The couple, who had already officially married in the U.S., had a handful of friends and family as witnesses and approached the joyous occasion with aplomb. The Monaco Formula 1 enthusiasts could not believe their eyes as they certainly were not expecting to see anyone get married right on the race track that day!

As for Bondurant, he could think of no better place to exchange vows than on the very same circuit that earned him 4th place back in 1966 and where he worked as a consultant on the now famous movie "Grand Prix" with James Garner. Nowadays he is better known as the leading authority on advanced driver training and has been at the forefront of professional driving instruction since the late ’60s. Utilizing the Bondurant Method, over 250,000 students ranging from housewives, racers and celebrities to teenagers, professionals and police officers, have learned from Bondurant’s expertise. In 1967, he joined the Dana Chevrolet Team in the growing Can-Am and USRC (United States Road Championship). That year while racing at Watkins Glen, a broken steering arm caused a crash at 150 mph, rolling his car eight times and ending his promising professional racing career.

Faced with the possibility of never walking or racing again, Bondurant went back to what he knew better than anyone in the world: maximum car control. On Feb. 14, 1968, the doors opened at Orange County International Raceway, near Los Angeles, with three students. The next week there were two students, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner, training for the film "Winning". Bondurant was technical advisor, camera car driver and actor-instructor for the film. Ever since then, both Bondurant and his school have enjoyed success after success.

Frank Damgaard of Monte-Carlo Weddings, who coordinated all the logistics, admitted that it was certainly the first wedding of its kind in the Principality.

Reminicing Memories and Momentos

Five days after Bob signed this my son Will and I were in Oaxaca at the far end of Mexico taking the car out of the trailer and the first team in line for registration and tech inspection.

Bob Bondurant, Lucky, Cobra Daytona -- More Records Than You Can Shake A Stick At

Bob Bondurant has been a good friend since 1970 and when he asked if he could write the forward for our DVD La Carrera Panamericana - Rebirth of A Legend
I was ecstatic.

Bob wrote; In the early 50’s, the top racing teams in the world tasked their legendary drivers – Juan Fangio, Phill Hill, Carroll Shelby and others, to challenge one of the toughest road races of its time – The La Carrera Panamericana. A grueling 2100 mile, multi-day race across the heart of central Mexico. After only five years, the race was canceled. Some say it had accomplished its goal; to promote the newly constructed Panamerican Highway. Others contest that the race was too dangerous and had to be stopped.

Today, the modern incarnation of La Carrera pays homage to that history, and is still considered by many to be the world’s toughest open-road race. To say you’ve competed in, and actually finished the La Carrera Panamericana is a significant achievement.

This documentary is an unprecedented view of that legendary race, and a contemporary look at one of its participants, the California’s Best Racing Team. Rebirth of a Legend chronicles the amazing 3-year journey that lead driver Gary Faules and co-pilot Jon Emerson to take on the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana. I have known and been friends with Gary for many years, and he has proven himself as a skilled driver.

From junkyard to finish-line hero, it’s a ride you won’t soon forget. This DVD is a priceless piece of history!

-Bob Bondurant

This weekend Bob was on hand while the very same Cobra Daytona that he drove into the analogs of automotive history sold for $7.25 million.



Courtesy of Hemmings...

Back in 1967, Bob Bondurant sold a Cobra Daytona for a paltry $4,000. Over the weekend he watched one of six Daytonas built by Shelby cross the block for an astounding $7.25 million at Mecum’s inaugural Monterey Auction, setting a record for the highest price paid for an American car at public auction, according to Mecum.